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Refresh Roundup: week of February 4th, 2013
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Refresh Roundup: week of October 29th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: summer 2012 edition
Despite the sweltering heat waves, our spirits are high at Engadget, and for good reason: it's time for our summer edition of the smartphone buyer's guide. Here, you'll find our top recommendations for the best smartphones across several US carriers, along with the best QWERTY and budget alternatives. In many ways, it's now easier than ever to find a world-class smartphone, but unless you've developed a strong brand preference, choosing one is likely more difficult than ever before. It's no secret that the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S III have firmly cemented themselves as the premier smartphones of the day, but if you're torn between the two, we'll reveal our preference in this latest installment. Summertime also brought a bit of a shock, as Microsoft revealed that Windows Phone 8 apps won't be compatible with the current generation of Windows Phone hardware. For this reason, we've excluded all Windows Phone handsets from consideration in the latest buyer's guide. While the future of Microsoft's mobile platform looks incredibly bright, a purchase now would guarantee obsolescence in the short-term. Instead, all prospective Windows Phone purchasers must wait for the next generation of handsets to become available -- you'll regret it otherwise. Naturally, there is no shortage of rumors surrounding the next Apple iPhone, and given the handset's current lack of LTE connectivity, the iPhone 4S is certainly showing its age. While cautious purchasers may choose to bide their time, the iPhone remains top-notch in many other respects, and its arrival at a number of prepaid carriers brought a breath of fresh air to an otherwise stagnant environment. If you're curious to see how it all unfolded -- and we know you are -- join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.
MasterCard gives PayPass blessings to HTC One X, 16 other NFC phones
MasterCard is widening the universe of phones that officially support PayPass in a big way, with a new MasterCard PayPass Ready program certifying that devices with NFC will play nicely with its mobile payment system. A total of 17 phones are part of the first wave getting the official A-OK. Some of these are known quantities already using PayPass, like the LG Viper 4G LTE and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus HSPA+, but others are new to the PayPass ways. Among the picks are the HTC One X, Intel's smartphone reference device and the Nokia Lumia 610 NFC. A raft of BlackBerrys and lower-end Samsung Galaxy phones are likewise in the fray. While only a handful of these might ever work with Google Wallet or other US-focused NFC payment methods, you can check out the full roster in the release after the break.
LG Viper 4G LTE review
They said it wouldn't last. And they -- pundits, analysts, bloggers, GSM fanatics -- were right. WiMAX, that flavor of 4G found in the 2500MHz band, has proven to be more of a hindrance than help during Sprint's transition from underdog to reinvigorated titan. Then there are the kerfuffles it's endured standing on the sidelines -- namely, watching one-time LTE partner LightSquared squander its regulatory good graces. Beleaguered would be putting it mildly; Sprint faces a treacherous climb uphill to the mobile Olympus where Verizon, AT&T and now-spectrum-rich T-Mobile sit -- after all, it's hard to change the tide of public perception, overcome the limitations of a dreadful 3G CDMA network and move away from weak third-party 4G signals. Yet, with all of those negatives working against it, a planned rollover to LTE technology might just be the panacea Sprint has so badly needed. Right now, at least, a wish and a hope are all Sprint can dole out to existing subscribers toying with the idea of switching carriers. Its nascent LTE network, currently in testing across six US cities, hasn't been cleared for launch, which makes its first 4G handset, the Viper 4G LTE, a dress rehearsal of sorts. And what a low-key affair it is: no cutting-edge aesthetics or kickstand here, just mid-range specs and a humble design made from recycled materials. But for anyone itching to surf those faster waves, LG's dual-core, NFC-enabled workhorse could be a tempting buy when it goes on sale Sunday for $100 (with a two-year contract). So will the dangling carrot of faster 4G persuade consumers to choose this over all those other mid-tier Android phones? Let's find out.
Sprint LG Viper 4G up for pre-order now, coming on April 22nd
Just as promised when we first met the carrier's Viper 4G, Sprint's placing the device up for pre-order today. Notably, rumors of an eventual April 22nd release date can now rest comfortably, with The Now Network saying it'll do its best to get the Gingerbread handset on all early-adopting hands before Sunday. For being one of Sprint's initial LTE slabs, the Viper bears a flexible $99 price tag -- of course, that's with a two-year deal, a $50 mail-in rebate and an understanding that the carrier's LTE waves aren't even live yet. If you're not due an upgrade just yet, though, then you'll have to part ways with around $400. Sound good? Head over to the source below to give it a last gander before you decide to add it to your cart.
Hands-on with LG Viper, an LTE smartphone coming to Sprint
Here we are in the caverns of the Venetian Hotel, where LG was kind enough to give us a quick look at the Viper -- a pre-production LTE handset that's destined for Sprint. While the device shares a similar heritage to the Connect 4G on MetroPCS, no release date is yet determined. Still, LG seems intent to join Samsung in the Now Network's futuristic 4G spotlight. The device features a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, along with a 4-inch Nova Display and Android 2.3.7. The WVGA screen is bright, crisp and quite pleasing. While the display's coating was rather glossy, Nova Displays typically perform well in direct sunlight -- no way to test that claim today, however. A 5 megapixel camera with LED flash occupies the rear of the device, and for those moments of self-indulgence, there's also a VGA cam up front. Rounding out the media specs, LG tells us the phone will carry DLNA certification. We were also curious to learn that the Viper will be one of the more eco-friendly devices in Sprint's lineup. For example, the case is made entirely from recycled plastic and the charger is said to be quite energy efficient.With a glossy plastic front and a brushed metal rear, the Viper is a collision of design philosophies and appears a bit dated. This felt particularly true with respect to the sides of the device, which struck us as eerily reminiscent of a fourth-generation iPod. In fact, the Viper seems a bit chunky, but that's not to suggest it's unwelcome. To the contrary, the handset felt like absolute money in the palm of our hand. Because this little guy is a work in progress, we kept our interactions with the software to a minimum. Sprint ID was apparent from the outset, and while it's unclear whether Google Wallet will come standard, LG tells us that the Viper will fully support both it and NFC. We're told that Life's Good for 2012, and we have no doubt that the folks in Overland Park would agree.Brian Heater contributed to this report
